Carolyn is a partner at Shaw Valenza LLP, based at our Sacramento office. Carolyn obtained her law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1997 where she received American Jurisprudence Awards for Trial Advocacy, and Negotiations and Settlements. Carolyn also obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business/marketing from San Francisco State University. Carolyn externed at the United States District Court, Northern District, for the Honorable Magistrate Judge Bernard Zimmerman.

Prior to receiving her law degree, Carolyn obtained over ten years of business experience in private industry. This corporate background gives Carolyn a unique advantage when litigating for employers, and allows Carolyn to effectively grasp and manage practical operational issues that are central to many cases. Carolyn has represented major corporations in sizable contract negotiations. Her business experience also included managing large organizations which utilized both contract and regular employees. Her duties encompassed all aspects of employee relations including hiring, training, policy enforcement, discipline, termination, and compliance with employment laws.

Carolyn has practiced employment law since 1997 and brings to the firm significant federal and state court litigation experience. She previously was associated with the law firms of Jackson Lewis LLP (Sacramento) and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Palo Alto), where she practiced exclusively in employment law. While practicing in Palo Alto, Carolyn litigated and provided advice and counsel to a variety of technology and start-up companies during the fast-paced “dot com boom.” Carolyn also practiced employment law at Seyfarth Shaw’s Sacramento office. Carolyn has authored several published articles dealing with a variety of employment law issues.